It’s 2025, and the biggest current metric of cool is authenticity. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is the poster car of the moment and not the new V12 Lamborghini, local food is in big-time, the cool kids are wearing Japanese selvedge denim and listening to Bjork, and iced out timepieces are officially beyond gauche, with tastemakers going off-catalog. The time is right for Mercedes-Benz to launch a heritage-inspired G-Class, and although its name is a bit silly, it looks just about perfect.
The story of this one starts when the half-millionth G-Class was slated for production in Austria, and Mercedes-Benz decided to pay tribute to the original 1979 model by stripping away some modern bling, blacking out the grille, and going with an olive color. The result was an instant sensation. Everyone adored it, and Mercedes-Benz saw an opportunity to print some money.
Nearly a year later to the day, here’s the production version. Mercedes-Benz calls it the G-Class STRONGER THAN THE 1980s, which is a bit brash and pretentious, the result here looks tremendous. The Agave Green paint is a direct carryover from the one-off, with Colorado Beige joining the party for those who want a neutral tone, along with cream, which sounds intriguing.
Those who loved the one-off will appreciate that Mercedes has mostly issued an edict of “make it exactly like that,” from the sensibly sized silver wheels to the headlight guards to the available roof rack. Even the amber indicator lenses carry over, impressive considering the cost of homologating a new lighting option yet so tasteful. I also adore the period-correct 1980s wordmark badge on the back, a genuine part from the past affixed to a brand new model.
While the interior hasn’t gone all fifty shades of brown, Mercedes-Benz has decked out this special G-Class with plaid cloth seat inserts that offer a nice change from leather. Warm in the winter, cool in the summer, never excessively sweaty, theoretically hardwearing. Why did we ever give up on cloth? Otherwise, interior changes are limited to badging,
As for the powertrain, most world markets get a diesel, but North American examples will all be based on the six-cylinder G 550 with 443 horsepower. That ought to be quick enough for a telephone booth-shaped off-roader, and with the regular model rated at 17 mpg, the fuel economy will be a benefit to the one or two owners worldwide who’ll actually take these things out on the trails.
Ah yeah, there’s the rub. Mercedes-Benz is only making 460 G-Class STRONGER THAN THE 1980s special editions, so even in the already exclusive club of G-Class owners, these things will be rare and coveted. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but expect a noticeable premium over a standard G550.
Top graphic image: Mercedes-Benz
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I love this, but the “Stronger Than The 1980’s” phrase is coming off that grab handle before it leaves the dealer lot.
“Mercedes-Benz decided to pay tribute to the original 1979 model by stripping away some modern bling, blacking out the grille, and going with an olive color.”
Mercedes-Benz had built the civilian versions of W461 (built specifically for military, NGO, public agencies, etc.) a several times under names such as PUR, Professional, LIMITED30, EDITION.PUR, and so forth. The difference between W461 and W463 is huge with W461 offering the stripped interior and appointments, perfect for real off-road driving.
Whether Mercedes-Benz plans the civilian versions of W464 (W461 successor) with W465 engines remains to be seen.
I may come off as a curmudgeon here, but I lost interest in the G-Wagen when it lost the solid front axle.
The whole point of these vehicles was that they were one of the ultimate off-roaders, and (in non-AMG trim) compromised little to achieve that.
Now that they’ve compromised the off-road capability, I don’t see the point of them.
I get why Mercedes did it – most people don’t actually care about substance over style, and making them nicer to drive helps them print money, but it just seems so shallow.
The independent front suspension system for W463a was “necessary evil” for implementing the active safety equipments and using the rack-and-pinion steering system.
Mercedes-Benz hasn’t given up on solid front axle for the G-Class: it’s still used on the W464, the W461 successor. Good luck in getting one for the civilian use: it’s sold to the military, government agencies, NGO, and selected clientele only due to the type of engine that isn’t higher than Euro 3.
Yeah, I get why they went that route, but there are other vehicles sold new in the same markets with a solid axle. I understand that independent suspension is nicer on the road, but it’s a definite compromise from what the G-Wagen was supposed to be. It’s no doubt a good choice for Mercedes because the average G-Wagen buyer is unlikely to be going off-road, but the off-road capability is the only reason the G-Wagen is so respected in the first place. Every brand loves to water down their product and sell on reputation alone.
This is my general complaint with the market though – people want the *look* of ruggedness, without the on-road trade-off that that capability brings.
I’m definitely happy that the W464 exists, though I wish it was available for the general public.
The G has never been my thing, but if I had the cash and it wasn’t my daily, I think I would snap up one of these.
What, no Campbell’s tomato soup red?
Just a few weeks ago I saw a ditsy hair model get one of these wedged in a tight alleyway. Go anywhere indeed. LOL.
Edit. Not this specific model but some newer wider AMG variant.
I predict this is going to be the 1993 NAS Land Rover 110 of the 2020s.
May as well just buy an Ineos Grenadier, which is actually built like an oldschool SUV with solid axles front & back, with classic Land Rover-inspired looks to match. At under $100k for most configurations, it’s a relative bargain compared to a G-Class.
That totally defeats the purpose of buying a car just because everyone knows it’s expensive. What would the people at the country club think if you pulled up in a car you bought because it was a “bargain”? You’d never hear the end of it.
Yeah, I think way too much like a practical person and not like a mentally ill millionaire that’s concerned about showing off, haha.
And this is where they got it all absolutely and completely wrong. Too bad.
MB is only making 460 G-Class special editions, so these things will be rare and coveted. Pricing premium over a standard G550.
But how else will the rich get to play “working class” while still reminding everyone they are better?
Meh, I’ll take the similarly-colored, resto-modded Willys from todays SBSD for 1/10th the price instead.
This is the most I’ve ever wanted a G-Wagen in my life. God damn… such a rollercoaster of emotions about redesigns today.
I like it better than the blinged out parodies Mercedes has been selling here. The “oil slick” vinyl wrapped one is particularly egregious. Unfortunately price and availability means it will be a faux “back to basics” vehicle used for either mall crawling or “Overlanding” with thousands of dollars of gear and clothing to traverse a trail locals do in old Subaru Foresters
yep there are few people that can afford 6 figure MB that will sleep in the woods. I bet there will be lots of never used 300 pound roof top tents on these.
I generally don’t think of myself as old, but I know for sure that I am because nothing in the first paragraph after “local food is in big time” made even a tiny amount of sense to me.
Accept that the youth speak something almost but not quite completely unlike English
When it comes to silly car names, it’s right up there with the BMW Individual M760Li xDrive Model V12 Excellence THE NEXT 100 YEARS. I mean, it’s hard to compete with the BMW Individual M760Li xDrive Model V12 Excellence THE NEXT 100 YEARS, but why not give it a shot?
Same vibe much better deal: https://g-mercedes.com/inventory/
Just wait until Mercedes (Streeter) sees that Mercedes (Benz) Overlander!
That name sounds better in German: Stärker Als die 1980er Jahre. My mistake; it doesn’t.
Looks fantastic. Still stupid. I would infinitely prefer an original ’70s-’80s G-wagen with a 3.0L turbodiesel that you can fix with a rock and a couple of screwdrivers if anything should actually break on the thing.
This sort of thing needs 400hp+ like I need a posse of ex-wives.
I would take this as a diesel 11/10 times if it was offered
Not a modern DEF-infested one though. They are just expensive trouble waiting to happen.
I think they still sell the “professional” version here in Europe, or atleast did couple of years a go. Spartan (cloth seats and all that) interior, diesel, less bling for about half the price of the base diesel G450d.
You still aren’t fixing it with a rock like you could an old G300d.
Sure not. However there’s plenty of older models with might OM606 still available. Even the professional versions.
That’s the thing. I’d much rather an old one, and even a minter is much, much, much cheaper than a new(er) one. And I will take an OM617 over an OM606 any day. So much simpler.
Of course, the old ones are STUPID expensive in the States, but that’s a good excuse for a nice European shopping vacation.
But ultimately, I already have a perfectly lovely old Disco I that I barely drive 1000 miles a year to fullfill the “rugged offroader” niche in my garage. No need to get anything else. But in an ideal world, I would love to have those plaid seats to sit on.
Here in Nordics the OM617 has pretty horrible reputation on winter use. Doens’t start up nicely and it’s pretty cold. OM606 is the goldilocks here, still relatively simple all things considered and hard as nails. Epic mileages racked to these.
I owned a 300TD in Portland, Maine, which has basically the same climate as Stockholm. Never a problem starting it, no matter how cold.
The 606s have NOTHING like as good a reputation for being bulletproof on this side of the pond. And they sold very, very few of them here.
Well I live 800 km north from Stockholm (which is basically a beach resort as far as I’m concerned:D) and I’ve got quite few friends and family who’ve had the old 300 mercedes diesel (my dad had one in the 80’s/early 90’s) and lets agree to disagree :D.
Maybe GM would follow suit with a similarly retro Chevrolet Suburban MORE RUSTPROOF THAN THE 1980’S that’d have an LS.
This is so cool, I just wish we could get something like this that’s completely de-contented so it’s truer to what these trucks used to be. I would consider saving up for one if it basically had nothing but AC and a modernized version of the old school interior at a reduced price. I don’t need all of the bling and goodies and neither does anyone who buys these things.
…but instead they’re making it a super limited edition car that you’ll assuredly be paying way more for despite there being less content…and every single one will wind up in the hands of ultra wealthy collectors and never be driven as god intended-hard and off the beaten path.
I guess these have been flashy status symbols for the conspicuous consumption crowd for a while now, but let me dream. Anyway I’ll always agree with Hammond’s take that you can show up with a G-Wagen absolutely anywhere and it’ll never look out of place. Whether you’re tossing the keys to a valet downtown, rolling up to the club, towing equipment on a farm, or going on a safari it’s somehow always the right tool for the job…and that’s what makes them so cool.
If they made this a high-production cheap trim, like what it should be, these things would sell like hot cakes. I guess Mercedes wants even MORE money per unit instead of making a lot of units.
The cheap trim costs about $1.50 less to make than the Housewives of Beverly Hills versions, that’s why. So all they would do is chuck heaps of profit out the window.
Margins uber alles. As much as I’d love for that to happen deep down I know it never will. Mercedes isn’t in the business of making cars for us mortals anyway.
This is the only modern G-wagon trim I actually like.
Wait, Mercedes saw Jeep selling “1941” editions Wranglers that damn near should have come with a shovel and a M1 Garand and just now thought to sell something similar?
I know they can be a little late to the party, but what a missed opportunity. Imagine if they still owned CJDR. We’d either have Hellcat powered G-Wagons with military paint jobs and Bundeswehr logos on the fuel door, or AMG powered Jeeps with much too nice of an interior.
I’m thinking this might be more inspired by the Land Cruiser’s 1958 Edition. This seems a bit better executed than that, but at least they’re making more than 460 LC 1958 Editions.
And hey, a CDJR still owned by Merc is fun to think about. Maybe get Bishop on that…
I don’t get the appeal of the new LC. Having sat in it and played around with it, it’s a bit of a miss for me. The stupid floor in the trunk really takes the cake. At least this feels like more than a nostalgia heart string being plucked, which is all that Toyota seems to be doing with the 1958 edition.
CJDR owned by Merc would mean a lot of cool and interesting ideas or would be a shitshow that ends the Mercedes company we know today.
I was hyped for the new LC and still love the look but am let down by the interior setup.
As for Merc-CDJR, I think it’s more likely it would be the end of CDJR instead of Mercedes. The beginning of Daimler-Chrysler saw some sharing that led to things like the LX platform, but after those first few years Chrysler’s brands were left neglected.
I have not loved a G-Class like I love this version of the G-Class.
It’s evolved from a military vehicle into a gauche status symbol, but at its core, it remains the last bastion of “old Mercedes.” Doors don’t snick shut like that anymore. The quality is amazing (typical German luxury car failure points and insanely complex and powerful powertrains aside), and finally something other than entirely blacked out G55 AMGs rumbling the privileged progeny of plutocrats to their tony, expensive private schools in the leafy, insanely-overpriced suburbs of Boston.
in other words, at least the rich will be driving green or beige G Class Benzes soon. Will make them easier to spot when it comes their time to be composted (you don’t want to eat the rich, they’re better fertilizer)
All that silicon ruins the taste. Plus think about the microplastics!
Don’t forget all the botulium nurotoxin in them. I lost a few lizardperson friends over the years eating humans full of it.
The E-class wagons, at least my S212, are still right up there. I have owned w123 and w124 wagons, and there’s not much in it – and the modern one is a HECK of a lot more rot-resistant, and more reliable (if potentially more expensive to fix when it breaks, not that the old ones were cheap either). The good old days weren’t actually all that great.
Composting the rich. Excellent. They will taste better as fresh veggies than as long pig, and likely better for you too.
Yeah, that’s true – the guys complaining about the old days being better mostly seem resistant to change or learning something new. The old days were *different,* that’s all.
I wanted an S212 pretty bad a while ago.
I guess our WK2 qualifies as “mostly-an-M-Class”
I like mine, but I don’t love it like I do my BMW wagon. It’s just a nice car, not something I cherish, and I use it like a rented mule.
But I do VERY much feel like this generation is the newest I want to own. They just get even MORE complex and more annoying. This feels like a happy medium. Though in hindsight, and if I hadn’t been in the rush I was in to replace my V70, I would have spent the same money on the world’s nicest W124. It’s just more my speed. But then I would have been a lot less willing to treat it like a rented mule, so there is that.
I have rented your generation of GC, they are nice trucks and drive pretty German, for an SUV. Nothing wrong with that. The Mercedes DNA is legit, for better and for worse. I will cheerfully take some wallet pain for a better drive.
We have both recent flavors – a WK2 Grand Cherokee w/ 3.6 Pentastar and a WL Grand Cherokee 4xe.
I like the worn-in feel of the ’13 – and it’s great with the 5-speed NAG1 transmission, even if the 8-speed ZF that came the next year was even better.
The 4xe drives much heavier on its feet, because it is. I don’t love the PHEV powertrain – the GME 4 cylinder is growly and not particularly refined. The hand-offs are a little clumsy. I don’t like the 20″ wheel/tire package’s ride quality.
I drove a rental WL w/Pentastar and it’s a continuation of what you liked about the WK2. Much more rigid structure, lighter weight (when not the hybrid), latest version of Pentastar and 8-speed – snappy, comfy. Great car.
How much of a real-world improvement in fuel economy is the hybrid? Assume it ended up the same or cheaper due to tax credits? I don’t really drive enough for the added complexity to be worth the potential dilemmas, but there is generally nowhere to go but up with these things for fuel economy, LOL.
I find my S212 to be kind of amazing for efficiency, all things considered. 23-24mpg in suburban around town driving, close to 30 on a trip. Not bad for a big comfy boat with 302hp. It is NOTABLY more efficient than my 128i, though that car is well-hampered by being the SULEV version.
The mileage varies, of course, but just running as a hybrid, the 4xe is about 5mpg better average.
Depends on who’s driving. It’s nice that it can do 30 miles EV-only when charged, too.
That’s actually rather a big improvement, considering how low you likely start with the straight gas one. Plus the initial “freeish” 30 miles. MPG is such a lousy way of comparing efficiency. Gallons per 100 miles would make the difference a lot more obvious.